Infrastructure

Criss-crossed by major interstates that connect the east and west coasts of the U.S. and link Mexico and Canada, and home to the ceremonial Golden Spike of 1869, Utah is known as the Crossroads of the West. The state hosts a robust distribution hub that includes a major international airport and an active, interconnected rail network.

The state is also renowned for its extensive broadband internet and telecommunications networks. In 1969, the University of Utah was one of the original four ARPANET nodes, which grew to become the world-wideweb. Today, mega-users from eBay to Facebook to the National Security Agency have spent billions building data centers in Utah.

The Salt Lake International Airport is the 23rd busiest airport in North America and the world’s 85th busiest.* SLC maintains a strong on-time airplane performance record.

Utah is a one-day truck drive or less from almost every major city in the western United States.

In terms of availability, according to BroadbandNow.com, Utah’s broadband performance excels. Ninety-six percent of Utahns have access to a 25 Mbps wired internet connection. Broadband in many rural areas of the state is equal to or may even exceed speeds found on the Wasatch Front.

Seventy-five percent of the population along the Wasatch Front lives within three miles of a major transit stop. The area has 136 total operational miles of commuter and light rail.

The mean travel time to work in Utah is 21.6 minutes, compared to the national mean of 25.9.

Salt Lake’s Relative Location To Other Major Metropolitan Areas

City Highway Miles Driving Time Flying Time Denver  535 8.5 Hours 1 Hour Las Vegas  425 6.5 Hours 1 Hour Los Angeles  689 11 Hours 1.5 Hours Phoenix  663 11.5 Hours 1.5 Hours San Diego  750 12 Hours 1 Hour San Francisco  736 12 Hours 2 Hours Seattle  840 13.5 Hours 2 Hours

Source: www.slcgov.com/economic-development/transportation * Pre-pandemic data.

Air Travel

The Salt Lake International Airport is Delta Air Lines’ western hub and is served by all major airlines and their affiliates.

Salt Lake International Airport Fast Facts: • Broke ground in July 2014 on the $4.1 billion airport redevelopment program. The first phase opened in fall 2020. The new SLC includes a new terminal, two concourses, a parking garage, and an elevated roadway. The second phase is scheduled to be completed by 2024 • Serves approximately 100 cities with non-stop flights, including Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, Paris, and

Toronto* • Has about 335 scheduled daily flights serving 26 million passengers each year* • Located 15 minutes from the Salt Palace Convention Center and downtown hotels • Fifteen world-class ski resorts are within an hour’s drive from the airport • More than 380 million pounds of air freight moves through the cargo facility annually

Sources: Salt Lake International Airport; FlightStats * Pre-pandemic data.

Utah Airports With Commercial Service

Canyonlands Field KCNY Cedar City Regional KCDC Ogden-Hinckley KOGD Provo City KPVU Salt Lake International SLC St. George Municipal KSGU

Mass Transit

Utah Transit Authority (UTA) The Utah Transit Authority, which covers 1,400 square miles, has one of the largest geographic service areas of any transit agency in the country. UTA serves more than 80% of Utah residents and more than 80 municipalities in six counties.

• UTA offers 117 bus routes with more than 6,000 bus stops. • TRAX light rail consists of three lines with 50 stations, carrying about 57,000 riders each weekday. • Frontrunner commuter rail spans 89 miles from Ogden through the Salt Lake Valley to Provo and connects with bus and TRAX stops. • Future projects include Ogden-Weber State Bus Rapid Transit, Murray-Taylorsville Bus Rapid Transit, and a potential downtown streetcar.

Rail

Utah’s central location in the western U.S. makes it an excellent interline switching route. Main rail lines link Utah directly to the major seaports of Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, and Seattle. • Utah has about 1,350 miles of railroad track. • Union Pacific’s Intermodal Hub in Salt Lake can service 250,000 truck, rail, and ocean-going containers annually. • Eight freight railroads operate in Utah. • For passenger rail, Amtrak provides a wide range of times and connections.

Port of Entry

Salt Lake City is home to a full-service customs port and has a designated Freeport Center just west of downtown. Goods that enter under bond may be stored in bonded customs facilities for up to five years without payment of customs duty. If goods are exported during this period, no duty is paid. Otherwise, duties are payable at the end of the term or upon entry into U.S. markets for consumption.

Utah Inland Port Authority

The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) is a statewide entity that advances Utah’s existing logistical advantages to promote smart, sustainable supply chains globally. With cargo movements expected to double in value by 2045, there is a need to maintain Utah’s position in the supply chain and anticipate that growth in a holistic way that serves the next generation.

Using a regional model and new technology, the Port Authority can channel logistics activities to benefit businesses and communities through improved market access, sustainable and efficient cargo delivery, multimodal infrastructure, and global connections.

UIPA’s current jurisdictional area in northwest Salt Lake County combined with additional regional ports around the state serve as input points to a generational logistics network using existing and repurposed infrastructure.

Fast Facts

• Every 100 rail cars take 300 truck trips off the road, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 75% • Cargo movements in Utah are expected to double in value by 2045 • 36% of Utah’s GDP comes from logistics-dependent industries • 647,000 Utah jobs are in logistics-dependent industries • $26 billion in Utah earnings come from logistics-dependent industries • 80% of Utah’s international containers come through California

Top Five Export Industries

1. Primary metals 2. Computer and electronics 3. Chemicals

4. Transportation equipment 5. Food and kindred products

Top Five Export Destinations

1. U.K.

2. Canada

3. Japan 4. Mexico

5. Taiwan

Export industries and destinations are for Utah goods.

Broadband

Home to the thriving Silicon Slopes tech corridor, Utah has made great strides in broadband internet deployment and adoption, including robust rural broadband providing remote work opportunities.

High-speed fiber connection to most anchor institutions was expected by 2020 year-end through a partnership between Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) and private broadband providers.

UDOT leads the U.S. with 51% fiber-optic coverage on all state roads and freeways. The agency brings reduced-cost broadband services to urban and rural areas through private/public partnerships.

Awarded more than $28 million in federal USDA ReConnect grant funds during 2019 and 2020, Strata Networks, Beehive Broadband, and Emery Telcom bring additional high-speed fiber to thousands of farms, businesses, and homes covering hundreds of square miles.

Examples of private broadband provider successes across the state includes: • Google selected Provo as the third city for its Google Fiber internet service. The provider has service available throughout the city and now provides service for Salt Lake City customers as well. • CenturyLink is working to bring broadband to 4,300 rural households in Utah through a Federal Communications Commission grant. They are expanding the current fiber Gigabit service to over 120,000 homes and businesses. • GoFiber and InfoWest are partnering in Southern Utah, turning up new and existing developments with fiber-optic networks. The companies recently connected internal 100 Gigabit fiber for data transport to multiple data centers.

Data Centers

Utah’s geographic location offers protection from natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, making the state a perfect spot for large data centers. Utah is home to numerous data centers, including facilities operated by eBay, Twitter, Oracle, the National Security Agency, and Facebook. Washington County is also home to the Tonaquint Data Center, the only Tier II data center between Provo and Las Vegas. In 2017, Strata Networks established a state-of-the-art data center in eastern Utah.